New Jersey’s Beer Wholesalers Join Nationwide Fight Against Human Trafficking in New Jersey 

Members of the Beer Wholesalers Association of New Jersey have partnered with the National Beer Wholesalers Association to train 

836 employees to identify and report signs of human trafficking in nationwide campaign

TRENTON, NJ – The Members of the Beer Wholesalers Association of New Jersey have joined with the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) to conduct an awareness training through their Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative to educate employees on recognizing and reporting the warning signs of human trafficking. New Jersey’s Beer distributor’s efforts are part of a nationwide campaign to help combat human trafficking in communities across the United States.

Ritchie & Page Distributing of Robbinsville is just one of the Members of the Association who participated in the training: “As a local business, Ritchie & Page Distributing is always looking for ways to make a difference in the communities we serve” said Emma Natale, Brand Manager at Ritchie & Page. “Sadly, every community is vulnerable to the horrors of human trafficking, and the communities in our service area are no exception. The hardworking folks of Ritchie and Page who visit hundreds of licensed retail locations each week, are now prepared to be an extra set of eyes and ears on the ground in the fight against human trafficking.”

Human trafficking continues to plague communities in the United States. In 2019 alone, the Polaris Project identified 22,326 victims and survivors of human trafficking, up 20 percent from the year prior. Additionally, human trafficking disproportionately targets already-vulnerable populations like women and children. Over half of the active criminal human trafficking cases in the U.S. involved children.

836 New Jersey Beer Distributor employees participated in the initial awareness training session. Distributor employees were also provided tools and resources to help them spot suspicious behaviors and alert authorities while on their routes.

To date, the Distributors Against Human Trafficking campaign has successfully trained nearly 30,500 beer distributors from 250 companies.

“We are incredibly proud of the growth of the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative since its launch,” said NBWA President and CEO Craig Purser. “With the investment and dedication of distributors in every state across the country, we continue to train thousands of employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking on their daily routes, strengthening the forces working relentlessly against this criminal industry—including right here in New Jersey.”

The Beer Wholesalers Association of New Jersey hopes to see this initiative grow and is committed to serving as a valuable partner to NBWA and beer and beverage distributors across the country in this campaign.

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The Beer wholesalers Association of New Jersey (BWANJ) represents New Jersey’s family-owned independent beer distributors who service every corner of the state. New Jersey’s Beer Distributors employ over 4,000 New Jersey residents with stable, high-quality jobs while supplying New Jersey restaurants, bars, taverns and liquor stores with brands of all sizes – from familiar domestic beers to craft brews and imports from around the world – New Jersey consumers have unprecedented choice thanks in large part to the efforts of New Jersey’s beer distributors. Beer Wholesalers Association of New Jersey Members:

High Grade Beverage (Randolph)

High Grade Beverage (South Brunswick)

Hunterdon Distributing (Whitehouse Station)

Harrison Beverage (Egg Harbor)

Kohler Distributing (Hawthorne)

Konrad Beverage Co (Deptford)

Kramer Beverage (Hammonton)

Peerless Beverage Company (Union)

Ritchie & Page Distributing Co., Inc. (Robbinsville)

Shore Point Distributing Company (Freehold)

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The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) represents America’s 3,000 independent beer distributors who service every state, congressional district and media market across the country. Licensed at the federal and state levels, beer distributors get bottles, cans, cases and kegs from a brewer or importer to stores, restaurants and other licensed retail accounts through a transparent and accountable regulatory system. Distributors build brands of all sizes – from familiar domestic beers to new startup labels and imports from around the world – and generate enormous consumer choice while supporting more than 140,000 quality jobs in their home communities. Beer distributors work locally to keep communities safe by sponsoring programs to promote responsible consumption, combat drunk driving and reduce underage drinking.